Programmable conveying system

ABSTRACT

A programmable hoist system is of the station searching type and is readily adaptable to many different program requirements using either a single hoist or multiplicity of hoists. The program instructions are either travel instructions, such as &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;go to station 10&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; or non-travel instructions, such as &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;lift&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;, and can be stored in either a read only memory (ROM) or on magnetic or paper tape. An eight bit instruction code is preferably used with a portion of the code being used to indicate whether the instruction is a travel or non-travel instruction. In one embodiment two bits of the code are ONES to designate a nontravel instruction with the remaining bits being decodable into 63 predetermined non-travel instructions. For travel instructions the two bits referred to above are not both ONES and the entire eight bit code in binary coded decimal (BCD) can identify up to 100 different stations.

United States Patent 1191 Yucius Apr. 9, 1974 PROGRAMMABLE CONVEYING SYSTEM Primary ExaminerPaul J. Henon I Al H b k, [75] nventor bert C Yucius oI roo Mass Assistant Emmmer paul R. Woods [73] Assignee: Systems Engineering &

Manufacturin Co Canton, Mass. g [57 ABSTRACT [22] Filed: Man 16 1973 A programmable hoist system is of the station searching type and is readily adaptable to many different pp 342,099 program requirements using either a single hoist or multiplicity of hoists. The program instructions are ei- 521 US. Cl. 340/1725 214/11 travel instructions Such 51 110.01. "606 1: 11/00 nontravel instructions Such as and can be [58] Field of Search 340/1725; 214/11; 104/88; Stored m e'ther a read y mory (ROM) or on 209/74 114 I22 magnetic or paper tape. An eight bit instruction code is preferably used with a portion of the code being [56] Re'erences Cited used to indicate whether the instruction is a travel or non-travel instruction. In one embodiment two bits of UNITED STATES PATENTS the code are ONES to designate a non-travel instruc- 3,72S,867 4/1973 Jordan 340/1725 on with the remaining bits being decodable into 3 3 2 1 P predetermined non-travel instructions. For travel ing'g gg g 1: z g a x 3 structions the two bits referred to above are not both 3384237 5/1968 i l: 209/|2'2 ONES and the entire eight bit code in binary coded 3:356:06] 12/1967 Wigginsjhiiih 31.... ll8/2 decimal (3CD) can identify "P 100 different 3.105,601 10/1963 Smoll t 1 1 1. 214/11 Iions- 3.l98,35l 8/1965 Paglee 1. 214/11 3.223.255 12/1965 Graybeal et a], 214/11 15 Clam, 29 Drawing PATENTEBAPR 9 m4 3,803561 saw :11 HF 21-* 20 VAC CLOSEDOWN FIG. 1

l CDPB.

AUTO.

5 TART A598.

' BPLL BPL BASE CYCLE CYCLE TIMER TIMER AL I AOL AL 2 AUTOMATIC OPERATE BETH I DETECTOR I ON STAT I /9 I I I9 q SPARE ON STAT.

REV

' BASE BP WAB REV SLOW POSlTION SLOW 5w SKIP LOWER LIMIT sw. SWTCH END DROP DRIP sw. DTC /9 PAPER DRIP i, JV

"ATENIED APR 9 IBM SHEET B BF 2] :20 MAO 04A W5. r\ \LL m FRQM 27 T|1- L C3 FWD. FORwARO V CONTROL |'vv\l| 03A E FROM REvERsE CONTROL 0REM (35A! SLOW FAST FROM FAST/ SLOW SPEED CONTROL SLOW 1 FAST 27 F'TL 01 DROP Li I FROM 27 P DROP CONTROL c2 LIFT N L \IL FROM 27 n\ LIFT UFT CONTROL CONTACTOR NT? fL Q FROM 27 To GROUPII GROUP IO SPRAY SOL NT '9 OUTPUT FROM 27 GROUP 10 HORN RI FHOM GROUP IO 27 DWELL NT 6 TIMER FIG. 5

,ATENTEDAPR 9mm 3.803561 SHEET 15 or 21 SET2 7/4 1 74A REsET .H.

30 CLK-Z 30 74B FROM FIG 20 PB)? ms ms 30 ms FROM F164 BF. SETTING ET SH T A=B T ME 5 NGLE 0 SINGLE SHOT FRDM WORDO H622 746 7/5 1 30 724 ms CLK 73 30 m (NORMAL TRAVEL A=B 0N STAT 70 "*EBEWWJ H To NON-TRAVEL AUTO INSTRUCTION 3O LOGIC ms 704 SET MEMORY B2o SINGLE SHOT SM.

cum ssc (MANUAL RESET) CLK.(2

FIG 15 PRESET BA SE POSITION l o & IL

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1. In an automatic conveying system, having a wagon moveable between a plurality of stations, motion control apparatus comprising; means for storing a plurality of multi-bit instruction codes including travel instruction codes and non-travel instruction codes, means for successively reading and decoding each instruction code, means for continuously registering a count representative of the location of the wagon, said means for reading and decoding comprising means for decoding a part of said instruction code to determine if said instruction code is a travel instruction code or a non-travel instruction code, means responsive to the decoding of a nontravel instruction for decoding the remainder of the code, and means responsive to the decoding of a travel instruction for decoding the entire instruction code to determine the next station to which to travel, and means for incrementing said means for storing to the next instruction code upon completion of a non-travel instruction code or upon arrive at a station destination when said travel instruction code compares with said stored count representative of the location of the wagon.
 2. The system of claim 1 wherein said means for storing comprises a read only memory and said means responsive to the decoding of a non-travel instruction includEs a plurality of decoding gates each responsive to a different non-travel instruction code.
 3. The system of claim 1 wherein said means for incrementing includes an AND gate means for receiving a destination signal and a signal representative of the completion of a non-travel instruction, and pulse generating means responsive to the state of said AND gate means for generating an incrementing pulse which is coupled to said means for storing.
 4. The system of claim 1 wherein said means for continuously registering a count includes a bidirectional counter and logic means responsive to a decoded travel instruction and the count of said registering means for controlling the direction of counting of said bidirectional counter.
 5. The system of claim 4 wherein said logic means includes a comparator means.
 6. The system of claim 1 comprising manual means for continuously stepping through said means for storing and means for terminating said continuous stepping when an intial base position non-travel instruction is decoded.
 7. The system of claim 1 comprising manual means for single stepping through said means for storing.
 8. The system of claim 1 wherein said means for reading and decoding includes means for decoding a field of said code containing more bits than said part of said code to determine if said code is a skip code.
 9. The system of claim 8 including logic means responsive to said field and the rest of said code for skipping a predetermined number of instruction codes.
 10. The system of claim 1 comprising means for controlling wagon lifting and dropping and timer means responsive to either a lift or drop non-travel code for energizing said timer means.
 11. In an automatic conveying system having a wagon moveable between a plurality of stations, motion control apparatus comprising; means for storing a plurality of multi-bit instruction codes including travel instruction codes and non-travel instruction codes, means for decoding a travel instruction code, means for continuously registering a count representative of the location of the wagon, means for comparing a decoded travel instruction code with the registered location count for incrementing said means for storing to the next instruction code upon receiving a comparison between the code and count, means for decoding a non-travel instruction code, and means responsive to completion of said non-travel instruction for incrementing said means for storing.
 12. The system of claim 11 wherein said means for continuously registering includes a location counter and logic means responsive to passing of a station for generating a station pulse for incrementing said location counter.
 13. The system of claim 12 wherein said logic means includes a first group of logic gates for establishing a first condition when a station is reached and a second group of logic gates responsive to said first condition being present and said wagon leaving said station.
 14. The system of claim 13 including a third group of logic responsive to either a forward or reverse slow down switch.
 15. The system of claim 11 wherein said means for decoding a non-travel instruction includes means for decoding a part of said instruction code to determine if the code is a non-travel code and means for decoding a portion of said code containing more bits than are contained in said part to determine if the code is a skip code. 